12/18/06 - G-Unit Ain’t No Click, Part I (Great Read)

Tha Boricua Flow · 12-18-2006, 11:19 AM

G-UNIT

It’s tough being a consistent winner. Sure, the first few W’s are sweetened with champagne toasts, swarming media and rallying fans, but before you know it the love has turned sour like a warm carton of milk...

The same folks who were in your corner now await your demise. This has been the story of G-Unit, 50 Cent’s close-knit crew from the slums of New York City that transformed a tireless mixtape hustle to a multi-million dollar franchise. But regardless of the hate, the collective has no intentions of easing up on the competition. G-Unit plays to win.

With Lloyd Banks, who made G-Unit Records’ first solo release, officially restarting G-Unit’s rotation with Rotten Apple (October 10, 2006), Vibe.com celebrates significant chapters of the group’s past in the first of a week crammed with features. Screw Jordan; G-Unit is the New York Yankees of Hip Hop.

IT WAS ALL A DREAM…

April 30, 2002 is a date that Lloyd Banks will never forget. Not only was it Banks’ 20th birthday, but G-Unit officially dropped 50 Cent is the Future, the faction’s first street album. With its red, white and blue color scheme, the 16-track mixtape was more collector’s item than typical mix CD. It featured 50 Cent, Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks injecting a bit of Southside Queens into hits by everyone from Mobb Deep to Raphael Saadiq, making the transformations grittier, and often times better, than the originals.

“We’re from the street, but we know what’s on the radio,” recalls Banks of their mind set. “We know what y’all want to hear. But we’re going to do it our own way.”

The approach worked, and G-Unit’s stream of mixtapes had teens and old heads alike shouting G-Unit’s signature call throughout the streets. Hoods all through New York City were unequivocally rooting for the home team.

“It was kind of like living a dream,” Banks remembers of G-Unit’s early days. “Everybody who you’re trying to impress your whole life is right there in your neighborhood… I had all the fame without the finances.”

G-UNIT BLOWS, YAYO GETS REPLACED?

The mixtape grind led to big payoffs for 50 and his crew when a certain white rapper from Detroit heard the gang’s first CD. After Eminem signed 50 to the historic, million-dollar deal with Shady Records, Yayo and Banks hopped on the tour bus with their leader, getting shine from city to city. “I’m seeing people all over the South, the Midwest, everywhere, going crazy for our shit,” says Banks. “That’s when I really knew that we could really take this to a worldwide thing and really market ourselves to be the best.”

But just as 50’s hypemen were scratching the surface of stardom, Yayo was bagged for criminal possession of a weapon. Suddenly the trio was down to two. “It was a crazy situation because Yayo left right at the time when we started signing autographs,” says Banks. “It kind of left me out there.”

The triangle offense was restored when Young Buck, who was formerly signed to Juvenile’s UTP Records, stepped in. Many thought Buck was Yayo’s replacement, but the Nashville-bred rapper had been waiting in the wing since day one, when G-Unit and UTP linked up to record “A Lil’ Bit of Everything,” which appears on 50 Cent is the Future. “When I first met 50, I was actually on the bus with Juve playing a record for Banks,” says Young Buck. “I actually sold that record to 50 and then he did his twist to it and made it what it is… it ended up being ‘Bloodhound’ on Get Rich or Die Trying.”

“[50 Cent] was just telling me, ‘Just give me a minute and everything is gon’ work out. I’ma come back and get you,’” Buck continues. Luckily for G-Unit’s southern lyricist, 50 kept his word. What initially seemed like an awkward fit to many eventually developed into an unquestionable synergy and in Nov. 2003, the group released Beg For Mercy, which went on to sell more than two million copies in the United States, according to Soundscan.

WHAT GOES UP…

The G-Unit brand has only expanded since Beg For Mercy, venturing into a diversity of markets and adding several artists to the roster. Mid-’90s alums Mobb Deep and M.O.P. joined the crew as well as Queens songbird Olivia and new jacks Spider Loc and Young Hot Rod. As for 50’s botched draft picks, former Aftermath benchwarmer The Game played for 50’s squadron before a much-publicized fall out, which 50 has attributed to Game’s disloyalty and hardheadedness. And although, Fif’ has taken an ‘L’ for the paperwork battle with Diddy to sign Mase, he’s developed cross-promotional deals with the likes of Freeway, Lil’ Scrappy and LL Cool J.

Despite the many additions to the crew, it seems that all is not well in 50’s army. After every album released on G-Unit Records saw at least platinum-selling success—including solos from Banks, Buck and The Game—Yayo’s Thoughts of a Predicate Felon and Mobb Deep’s Blood Money have failed to follow suit, pushing about 500,000 and 260,000 copies in the U.S., respectively. But G-Unit members are unfazed by the so-called turning of the tide.

“We were happy with what we did,” says Prodigy of Mobb Deep. “I’m not even disappointed with our sales. If you look at our career… these are the numbers that we do.” But the same can’t be said for Banks, whose debut album The Hunger For More sold 1.5 million copies in the U.S. After two singles, it’s follow up, Rotten Apple, sits at about 279,283 copies sold to date.

“We created this monster,” Banks says. “The fact that you expect everybody on G-Unit to have the same success just shows how much people respect the approach we had.”

“There ain’t no record label that the people demand that every artist make a platinum debut outside of G-Unit,” Banks continues. “But in all reality, there was a time when a gold album was a platinum album.”

THE LEGACY

Say what you want about 50 Cent’s platoon but its winning streak is undeniable. However, with the immense success, whispers that the artists are hood sellouts are shared among loyalists. Banks assures that the artists will always embrace their roots.

“It takes a lot more than a few years for you to forget the grind and remember when it was seven of us in a Dodge Caravan with no A/C with seven pistols and seven vests on,” says Banks. “We always flashback to that. At the end of the day that’s where we come from.”

And with forthcoming projects from Buck and Hot Rod on the horizon, the group’s wheels show no sign of stalling. “Our team is so strong, it doesn’t matter what the fans say, it doesn’t matter what Soundscan says, it really doesn’t matter what anybody says,” Prodigy boasts. “We know the strength we got and we’re using it.”

Years down the line, after all the plaques, tours and performances, Young Buck is certain of where G-Unit will fall in hip hop history. “There’s never been a group that’s been successful where every individual artist had success,” says Buck. “In a sense, we’re early legends.”

MaliQ · 12-18-2006, 11:20 AM

propzz mayne

rainman · 12-18-2006, 11:29 AM

props homie

hlevitt · 12-18-2006, 11:32 AM

good shit big props

Dam3ion · 12-18-2006, 11:32 AM

propz.....good ass read....them years passed i remember all that shytt i been gunit since they was on 50 album....gunit never dies...bumpin B4M

The Real B.G. · 12-18-2006, 11:38 AM

propz good read

Jay Day · 12-18-2006, 11:42 AM

propz mane

Shady Aftermath · 12-18-2006, 11:53 AM

Good read.

G-Unit just gotta stay with 50,Bank$,Buck,Yayo..

ThaTRUTH06 · 12-18-2006, 11:53 AM

Props..........I hope they have another platinum album soon. Hip Hop needs it.

denilson · 12-18-2006, 11:55 AM

props good read

AUTHENTICakaATT · 12-18-2006, 11:55 AM

propzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Buck_Da_World · 12-18-2006, 11:56 AM

propz nigga

anseny · 12-18-2006, 11:56 AM

propz on this

devonmorris_2001 · 12-18-2006, 12:00 PM

Props
yea For real i remeber bein a lil nigga listenin to "Power of a dollar" (you gotta be a real nigga 2 kno dat one) and den you kno.. seein him and his crew become phenomenal.... dat shit is crazy

joe_dubbs · 12-18-2006, 12:07 PM

good read
props

FiFTYShotYa · 12-18-2006, 12:16 PM

ot bad good looks!

THE NIGGA-JR · 12-18-2006, 12:18 PM

man i thought this was like a mixtape info or somethin

ldr162001 · 12-18-2006, 12:24 PM

propzzzzzzzzzzz

AUTHENTICakaATT · 12-18-2006, 12:46 PM

everybody on g unit is expected to move units of masacre or get rich or die tryin an they aren`t publicised as 50 so it will never happen

GGGG-Unit Affiliated Poww · 12-18-2006, 01:03 PM

propzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

good read

RussianBanger · 12-18-2006, 01:10 PM

two words: hot rod

Million$Hustla · 12-18-2006, 01:11 PM

props good read

demagunit · 12-18-2006, 01:15 PM

dis dudes tell da truth!!

DirtyBMW · 12-18-2006, 01:17 PM

Propz
good read ....

Go†h · 12-18-2006, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RussianBanger

two words: hot rod

ahhh i cant agree with you,after hearing him with papoose ont hat track called pirotecnicas or something, hes got skills that youd have to be a hater to deny.

12-18-2006, 11:19 AM	#1
Tha Boricua Flow Free At Last Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New York Posts: 3,575 Repped: 893 Repped 3,554 Times in 388 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 2 Times in 2 Posts	12/18/06 - G-Unit Ain’t No Click, Part I (Great Read) 12/18/06 - G-Unit Ain’t No Click, Part I (Great Read) G-UNIT It’s tough being a consistent winner. Sure, the first few W’s are sweetened with champagne toasts, swarming media and rallying fans, but before you know it the love has turned sour like a warm carton of milk... The same folks who were in your corner now await your demise. This has been the story of G-Unit, 50 Cent’s close-knit crew from the slums of New York City that transformed a tireless mixtape hustle to a multi-million dollar franchise. But regardless of the hate, the collective has no intentions of easing up on the competition. G-Unit plays to win. With Lloyd Banks, who made G-Unit Records’ first solo release, officially restarting G-Unit’s rotation with Rotten Apple (October 10, 2006), Vibe.com celebrates significant chapters of the group’s past in the first of a week crammed with features. Screw Jordan; G-Unit is the New York Yankees of Hip Hop. IT WAS ALL A DREAM… April 30, 2002 is a date that Lloyd Banks will never forget. Not only was it Banks’ 20th birthday, but G-Unit officially dropped 50 Cent is the Future, the faction’s first street album. With its red, white and blue color scheme, the 16-track mixtape was more collector’s item than typical mix CD. It featured 50 Cent, Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks injecting a bit of Southside Queens into hits by everyone from Mobb Deep to Raphael Saadiq, making the transformations grittier, and often times better, than the originals. “We’re from the street, but we know what’s on the radio,” recalls Banks of their mind set. “We know what y’all want to hear. But we’re going to do it our own way.” The approach worked, and G-Unit’s stream of mixtapes had teens and old heads alike shouting G-Unit’s signature call throughout the streets. Hoods all through New York City were unequivocally rooting for the home team. “It was kind of like living a dream,” Banks remembers of G-Unit’s early days. “Everybody who you’re trying to impress your whole life is right there in your neighborhood… I had all the fame without the finances.” G-UNIT BLOWS, YAYO GETS REPLACED? The mixtape grind led to big payoffs for 50 and his crew when a certain white rapper from Detroit heard the gang’s first CD. After Eminem signed 50 to the historic, million-dollar deal with Shady Records, Yayo and Banks hopped on the tour bus with their leader, getting shine from city to city. “I’m seeing people all over the South, the Midwest, everywhere, going crazy for our shit,” says Banks. “That’s when I really knew that we could really take this to a worldwide thing and really market ourselves to be the best.” But just as 50’s hypemen were scratching the surface of stardom, Yayo was bagged for criminal possession of a weapon. Suddenly the trio was down to two. “It was a crazy situation because Yayo left right at the time when we started signing autographs,” says Banks. “It kind of left me out there.” The triangle offense was restored when Young Buck, who was formerly signed to Juvenile’s UTP Records, stepped in. Many thought Buck was Yayo’s replacement, but the Nashville-bred rapper had been waiting in the wing since day one, when G-Unit and UTP linked up to record “A Lil’ Bit of Everything,” which appears on 50 Cent is the Future. “When I first met 50, I was actually on the bus with Juve playing a record for Banks,” says Young Buck. “I actually sold that record to 50 and then he did his twist to it and made it what it is… it ended up being ‘Bloodhound’ on Get Rich or Die Trying.” “[50 Cent] was just telling me, ‘Just give me a minute and everything is gon’ work out. I’ma come back and get you,’” Buck continues. Luckily for G-Unit’s southern lyricist, 50 kept his word. What initially seemed like an awkward fit to many eventually developed into an unquestionable synergy and in Nov. 2003, the group released Beg For Mercy, which went on to sell more than two million copies in the United States, according to Soundscan. WHAT GOES UP… The G-Unit brand has only expanded since Beg For Mercy, venturing into a diversity of markets and adding several artists to the roster. Mid-’90s alums Mobb Deep and M.O.P. joined the crew as well as Queens songbird Olivia and new jacks Spider Loc and Young Hot Rod. As for 50’s botched draft picks, former Aftermath benchwarmer The Game played for 50’s squadron before a much-publicized fall out, which 50 has attributed to Game’s disloyalty and hardheadedness. And although, Fif’ has taken an ‘L’ for the paperwork battle with Diddy to sign Mase, he’s developed cross-promotional deals with the likes of Freeway, Lil’ Scrappy and LL Cool J. Despite the many additions to the crew, it seems that all is not well in 50’s army. After every album released on G-Unit Records saw at least platinum-selling success—including solos from Banks, Buck and The Game—Yayo’s Thoughts of a Predicate Felon and Mobb Deep’s Blood Money have failed to follow suit, pushing about 500,000 and 260,000 copies in the U.S., respectively. But G-Unit members are unfazed by the so-called turning of the tide. “We were happy with what we did,” says Prodigy of Mobb Deep. “I’m not even disappointed with our sales. If you look at our career… these are the numbers that we do.” But the same can’t be said for Banks, whose debut album The Hunger For More sold 1.5 million copies in the U.S. After two singles, it’s follow up, Rotten Apple, sits at about 279,283 copies sold to date. “We created this monster,” Banks says. “The fact that you expect everybody on G-Unit to have the same success just shows how much people respect the approach we had.” “There ain’t no record label that the people demand that every artist make a platinum debut outside of G-Unit,” Banks continues. “But in all reality, there was a time when a gold album was a platinum album.” THE LEGACY Say what you want about 50 Cent’s platoon but its winning streak is undeniable. However, with the immense success, whispers that the artists are hood sellouts are shared among loyalists. Banks assures that the artists will always embrace their roots. “It takes a lot more than a few years for you to forget the grind and remember when it was seven of us in a Dodge Caravan with no A/C with seven pistols and seven vests on,” says Banks. “We always flashback to that. At the end of the day that’s where we come from.” And with forthcoming projects from Buck and Hot Rod on the horizon, the group’s wheels show no sign of stalling. “Our team is so strong, it doesn’t matter what the fans say, it doesn’t matter what Soundscan says, it really doesn’t matter what anybody says,” Prodigy boasts. “We know the strength we got and we’re using it.” Years down the line, after all the plaques, tours and performances, Young Buck is certain of where G-Unit will fall in hip hop history. “There’s never been a group that’s been successful where every individual artist had success,” says Buck. “In a sense, we’re early legends.” __________________

12-18-2006, 11:20 AM	#2
MaliQ 08[Detox-L.A.X.-BISD]08 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: ??? Posts: 4,514 Repped: 342 Repped 1,822 Times in 177 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 3 Times in 2 Posts	propzz mayne __________________ Sunny days wouldn't be special, if it wasn't for rain... Joy wouldn't feel so good, if it wasn't for pain... Death gotta be easy, 'cause life is hard... It'll leave you physically, mentally, and emotionally scarred. - 50 Cent

12-18-2006, 11:32 AM	#5
Dam3ion Veteran Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: New Orleanz, Louisiana Posts: 5,696 Repped: 801 Repped 3,024 Times in 550 Posts Neg Reps: 35 Neg Repped at 50 Times in 43 Posts	propz.....good ass read....them years passed i remember all that shytt i been gunit since they was on 50 album....gunit never dies...bumpin B4M __________________ 9-0...Who's Gonna Beat Us...

12-18-2006, 11:42 AM	#7
Jay Day I ♥ Real Hip-Hop Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Germany Posts: 1,171 Repped: 534 Repped 39 Times in 23 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propz mane __________________

12-18-2006, 11:55 AM	#11
AUTHENTICakaATT THA NINJA CLIQUE GENERAL Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: THA PROJECTZ Posts: 7,267 Repped: 617 Repped 2,279 Times in 960 Posts Neg Reps: 239 Neg Repped at 185 Times in 155 Posts	propzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz __________________

12-18-2006, 11:29 AM	#3
rainman Veteran Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,446 Repped: 149 Repped 95 Times in 20 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	props homie

12-18-2006, 11:32 AM	#4
hlevitt H unit Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Im from philly Posts: 1,099 Repped: 392 Repped 2 Times in 2 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 4 Times in 2 Posts	good shit big props

12-18-2006, 11:38 AM	#6
The Real B.G. Veteran Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: NC Posts: 1,897 Repped: 499 Repped 162 Times in 37 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propz good read

12-18-2006, 11:53 AM	#8
Shady Aftermath Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Amsterdam Posts: 566 Repped: 2 Repped 4 Times in 4 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Good read. G-Unit just gotta stay with 50,Bank$,Buck,Yayo..

12-18-2006, 11:53 AM	#9
ThaTRUTH06 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 411 Repped: 24 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Props..........I hope they have another platinum album soon. Hip Hop needs it.

12-18-2006, 11:55 AM	#10
denilson Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: stockholm Posts: 830 Repped: 463 Repped 45 Times in 17 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	props good read

12-18-2006, 11:56 AM	#12
Buck_Da_World NEW YORK HIGH TIMES Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: New York Da Bronx Posts: 1,714 Repped: 48 Repped 767 Times in 158 Posts Neg Reps: 2 Neg Repped at 1 Time in 1 Post	propz nigga __________________ A hood nigga commin up, new year another truck, I aint worried bout dem runnin up, I got heat on my hip, dat will tear ya stomach up, I got heat on my hip [IMG][/IMG]

12-18-2006, 11:56 AM	#13
anseny Veteran Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: antwerp belgium Posts: 2,268 Repped: 489 Repped 145 Times in 17 Posts Neg Reps: 1 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propz on this

12-18-2006, 12:00 PM	#14
devonmorris_2001 Yea Yea It's da illest.. Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Born in Utica NY 3~wun~5 Stand Up L.E.S.!!... Reside in ATL East$siide L-town Posts: 306 Repped: 15 Repped 68 Times in 12 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Props yea For real i remeber bein a lil nigga listenin to "Power of a dollar" (you gotta be a real nigga 2 kno dat one) and den you kno.. seein him and his crew become phenomenal.... dat shit is crazy

12-18-2006, 12:07 PM	#15
joe_dubbs Veteran Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 3,817 Repped: 1 Repped 50 Times in 7 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	good read props

12-18-2006, 12:16 PM	#16
FiFTYShotYa Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 201 Repped: 17 Repped 3 Times in 1 Post Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	ot bad good looks!

12-18-2006, 12:18 PM	#17
THE NIGGA-JR CARTER Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: THE WEST COAST Posts: 2,546 Repped: 69 Repped 582 Times in 205 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 11 Times in 10 Posts	man i thought this was like a mixtape info or somethin

12-18-2006, 12:24 PM	#18
ldr162001 LDR 4 life Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: New York Posts: 582 Repped: 36 Repped 52 Times in 14 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 1 Time in 1 Post	propzzzzzzzzzzz

12-18-2006, 12:46 PM	#19
AUTHENTICakaATT THA NINJA CLIQUE GENERAL Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: THA PROJECTZ Posts: 7,267 Repped: 617 Repped 2,279 Times in 960 Posts Neg Reps: 239 Neg Repped at 185 Times in 155 Posts	everybody on g unit is expected to move units of masacre or get rich or die tryin an they aren`t publicised as 50 so it will never happen __________________

12-18-2006, 01:03 PM	#20
GGGG-Unit Affiliated Poww Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 3,150 Repped: 0 Repped 2 Times in 2 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz good read

12-18-2006, 01:10 PM	#21
RussianBanger Stay in school! Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1,635 Repped: 80 Repped 56 Times in 11 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	two words: hot rod __________________ CURRRRTTIIIIISSSSSSS!

12-18-2006, 01:11 PM	#22
Million$Hustla Pow! Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 4,382 Repped: 1,132 Repped 42 Times in 12 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 1 Time in 1 Post	props good read

12-18-2006, 01:15 PM	#23
demagunit da unit iz da shit Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: italia bitch!! Posts: 702 Repped: 0 Repped 3 Times in 3 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	dis dudes tell da truth!! __________________ 50 iz da boss.

12-18-2006, 01:17 PM	#24
DirtyBMW G-Unit Germany Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: South G-G-Germany Posts: 4,661 Repped: 1,080 Repped 3,046 Times in 203 Posts Neg Reps: 1 Neg Repped at 1 Time in 1 Post	Propz good read ....

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